1835.] Characters of a neiu species of Cervus. 649 



Remarks. — The horns of this animal differ from those of any known 

 species. In size, curvature, and thickness, they agree with those 

 of the Hippelaphus of Dv Vaucel and of Cuvier : and are consider- 

 ably less large than those of Elaphus. But in colour and rugosity, 

 they depart from the former, to approach the latter, with which they 

 have, besides, a strict correspondence in the numerous snags crown- 

 ing their summits, and also in the anteal insertion and forward 

 direction of the browantler. The absence of the median process, 

 and the singleness of the basal one, are points of similitude with the 

 Hippelaphine or Rusan group, in which, however, the basal or brow- 

 antler has always an oblique insertion and upward direction. 



Wallich's deer, again, has two browantlers directed forwards ; 

 but has only a single superior process from the beam ; and it is almost 

 deprived of tail, whilst that member is more developed in the Ru*an 

 than in the Elaphine group. The dark and shaggy coat of the 

 Rusans is not traceable in Wallichii, which is even paler than the 

 European red deer. In these respects, our animal more nearly than 

 Wallichii approaches the European stag ; but in the singleness of 

 his browantler, he recedes further from the European type than does 

 Wallichii. He serves, in all respects, to form a fresh and striking 

 link of connexion between the Hippelaphine and Elaphine groups, 

 which groups, H. Smith supposes to be respectively the Asiatic and 

 European types of Cervus. The first discovered link in this con- 

 nexion was Wallich's deer. Elapho'ides, (mihi,) constitutes another, 

 equally distinct and remarkable. In the synoptical arrangement of 

 the English Regne animal, Elapho'ides must have a place immediately 

 after or before C. Wallichii ; with which species our's will serve to 

 smooth the transition from Elaphus to Rusa. The crowned summits 

 of the horns, each of which bears four or five processes, inclusive of 

 the point of the beam, at once distinguishes Elapho'ides from the 

 Jerows, Jarais, or Saumers of the continent and islands of India. 

 All the latter belong to the Rusan group, and in their manners are 

 remarkable for exclusive adherence to the heaviest forest jungle, 

 whence they frequently penetrate into the proximate mountains or 

 hills. On the contrary, Elapho'ides (the Bahraiya or Mahd) never 

 was known to enter the mountains ; nor does he, save casually, 

 resort to the depths of the forests. His lair is on the skirts of large 

 forests, amid the grassy and swampy glades which abound in such 

 vicinities. Lastly, his female is of a whitey-brown or pale dun hue : 

 whereas the females of the Rusans are dark-hued, as the males. 



Explanation of Plate LIII. 



Fig. 3. Cervus Elaphus, Nipalese Sal forest: vulgo, Bdra Sinha, type of 

 Cervus. 



Fig. 4. Cervus Elapho'ides, mihi : vulgo, Bahraiya and Mahd, Nipalese and 

 Western Tarais ; osculant. 



Fig. 5. Cervus Hippelaphus : type of Rusa. 



Note. — All three heads on an uniform scale. The stag's horns shew the two 

 basal processes, and the median on either beam ; but the terminal crown of 

 snags is not developed, owing to youth. Each horn has but one superior process 

 from the beam, instead of three or tour. 



